Improvement in packing projectiles for rifled ordnance



B. B. HOTGHKISS. Projeotil.

No. 47,725. u Patented Mafy l; 1865.

' discharge.

B. B. HO'ICHKISS, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

IMPROVEMENT IN PACKING PROJECTILES FOR RIFLED ORDNANCE.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. filf, dated May 16, 1865.-

To a whom, it may; concern,.-

Be it known that I, B. B. HoTcHKIss, ofthe lcity and county of New York, and State of New York, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Projectiles for Bilied Ordnance; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full and exact description thereof.

' The accompanying drawings form a part of this specification.

Figure l is a longitudinal central section, showing the part-s in the' condition before iiring. ing the parts in the condition induced by the Similar letters of reference indicate eorrespending parts in both the drawings.

The nature of my' invention consists in the employment of a cheap cushion of soft material mounted within a-Hotckiss projectile, lin the manner hereinafter shown, and adapted to deaden the concussion orshock experienced in the act of firing. f

To enable others skilled in the art to make and us'e rn-y invention, I will proceed tede- Y scribe its construction an'dbperation by the 'aid of thedrawings, and of the letters of reference marked thereon.

A is the casting, which forms the main body of my projectile.

B is a casting, which forms the rear cap, and O is a belt of lead, which encompassesthe main part A, and connects the parts A and B strongly together by locking into them in the manner represented. The parts A, B, and C .are adapted to operate together in the manner described in the patent issued to my brother, Andrew Hotchkiss, dated October 16, 1855.

D is a disk of pinewood, of such diameter Fig. 2 is a corresponding section, show-v as to nearly or quite cover the entirebase of the cavity in .the cap B, and of such thickness as to ll about onequarter ofthe space between the base of the cavity in the cap B and the base Vof the main part A. It is inserted previous to the applying of the parts A and B together. When the projectile is fired, the force of the p'owder drives the cap B forward with great velocity and closes the space in which the diskD is confined. In the absence 0f the soft disk D, the metal of A andB strike together with such force as to endanger the breaking of one or both the parts by the violence of the'blow. The elasticity of the soft Wood D, by gradually arresting the motion, saves the parts from fracture.

I have tested my invention practically and found it successful. The seven-inch Ames gun,-which has lately attracted much attention, has thrownA my projectile over seven miles.' Itis believed to be the longest range ever attained. The great weight of the projectiles and the intense mechanical action of the powder thereon made these more liable to break from the concussion above referred to than smaller projectiles. Nearly allv broke in 'the gun until I introducedthis cushion.

Having now fully described my invention, what I claim as new therein, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is as follows:

The employment of the soft disk or cushion D, in combination with a Hotchkiss projectile, and arranged to operate in connection therewith, substantially in the manner and for the purposeherein set forth.

B. B. HOTCHKISS.

Witnesses:

` KIMBALL W. SrETsoN,

D. W. STETsoN. 

